Targeting in Social Programs: Avoiding Bad Bets, Removing Bad Apples

Many government policies seek to help unfortunate, often low-income individuals — in other words, "bad draws." These efforts are frequently undermined by poor targeting, however. In particular, when two groups of bad draws — "bad bets" and "bad apples" — are included in social welfare programs, bad policies are likely to result.

Peter H. Schuck is Simeon E. Baldwin Professor of Law at Yale University. He was principal deputy assistant secretary for planning and evaluation in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Among his many books are Meditations of a Militant Moderate (Rowman & Littlefield, 2006) and Diversity in America (Harvard University Press, 2003).